Art of canning shrimp



July 13 1926.

`J. v. DUNBAR ART 0F CANNING SHRIMP Filed August 5. 1922 Patented July 13, 1926.

UNITED STATES JAMES V. DUNBAB, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

ART 0F CANNING SHRIMP.

Application filed August 3, 1922. lSerial No. 579,503.

This invention relates to the art of canning shrimp and particularly to the packaging of shrimp in metal containers. One of the objects of the invention is the prevenf shrimp, used in combination' with a metal lic container and arranged to interpose a plurality of thicknesses between the shrimp and container both at the top and bottom.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the improved art of canning shrimp illustrated in the accoinpanying drawings, described in the following specification, and particularly claimed, and in such variations and modifications thereof as will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, and wherein the preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated: f

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a can having the front broken away to show a receptacle embodying the principle of my invention.

Figure 2 is a side sectional view of the can shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the paper lreceptacle with the upper end unfolded.

Figure 4 is an underneath view of the receptacle shown 'in Fi ire 3.

Referring now in etail to the several figures, the numeral 1 represents a cylin-A drical can having a flat top Zand bottom 3.' This can or container is formed in the well known manner and need not here be described.,

In packing shrimp it has been found necessary to coat the inside of the can including the top and bottom with a thin layer of lacquer to prevent chemical reaction between the metal of the can at the point of contact with the shrimp, which causes discoloration of the latter and impairment of its quality. This coating is shown in the drawing at 4 in Figures 1. and 2. It has been found by experience that the lacquer coating cannot be relied upon entirely to give the desired protection particularly at the seams of the can or through rupture of the lacquer due to indentin of the can or through imperfect application of the lacquer.

It has heretofore been attempted to further ensure the protection of the shrimp from discoloration by surrounding them with an enclosure of paper or other nonmetallic fabric to keep them out of physical contact with the lacquered surface of the can, or to rely upon the paper enclosure altogether, dispensing with the coating of lacquer. Various means of carrying out this system of protection have been tried out such as lining the can with a cylinder of paper with separate paper disks covering the top and bottom, or enclosing the shrimp in a muslin bag or by placing them in a paper bag, folding it at the top and insertingit within the metallic container. lVith all of these expediente a considerable proportion of failures in the perfect keeping of the product is expectable due to misadvertences occurring during the processing of 'the shrimp or in the storing of the finis led product. Where separate disks of paper are used in the top and bottom of the can they are apt to be misplaced or folded over during the filling of the can or its subsequent processing, resulting in the shrimp being left in contact with the metallic surface. I have found that even when a one-piece paper receptacle is used such as a bag, folded over at the top, discoloration of the shrimp is likely to occur when the can is stored with the folded end of the recep1 tacle uppermost. This is due to the fact that the shrimp lies by gravity against the bottom of the receptacle the concentrated juices therefrom being pressed bythe weight of the shrimp through the bottom membrane of said receptacle and having a corrosive effect upon the metallic surface of the bot` tom of the container.

My invention proceeds to the elimination.

of discoloration of the shrimp by providing a one-piece paper receptacle which is folded atboth ends, iuterposing a plurality of lthicknesses of paper between the ends of the when the latter is stored. To this end I have provided the paper receptacle which is made from a single fiat sheet folded to form a seam 6 and having the upper and lower ends folded together to form a complete one-piece enclosure. The end folds are made by first folding inwardly the front face 8 of the receptacle including the seam 6. The left hand side is then folded in as shown at 9 and then the right hand side as shown at l0 and nally the rear portion 11. When the bottom of the receptacle has been thus folded it is placed within the container, the appropriate'quantity of shrimp placed therein, and the upper end folded together in a similar manner. It will be observed from the figures that 'by folding the ends of the paper receptacle, a number of thicknesses of paper intervene between the shrimp and the metallic ends of the container whether the can is set open with the bottom down as shown in Figure l, or inverted. It is not essential that the plurality of thicknesses of paper should be uniform in number or extend over the entire top and bottom end surfaces of the container. It is sufficient that the points and angles of the end folds of the receptacle overlap so that some portion ofthe ends of receptacle are of a plurality of thicknesses, for the thicker portions will hold the thinner portions away from the metal ends of the container sufciently to accomplish the designs of the invent-ion.

While paper is here referred to for preferred use in the construction of the receptacle it is clearly within the scope of the invention to make use of any substance which lends itself to the carrying out of the functions herein set forth. Nor is the invention limited to any particular method of folding the ends of the paper, it being quite sufticient that the paper be so folded as to'provide some portion of both the top and-bottom ends of the receptacle with a thickness of a plurality of layers of the material from which the receptacle is constructed. And while the invention in the embodiment shown in the drawings and described in the specification is applied to a can having a lacquered coating it is by no means limited to such application but may be used in combination with any type of metallic container whatsoever.

Having described -my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a package for the preservation of shrimp a container having a metallic bottom and top, a one-piece paper receptacle within said container for enclosing the shrimp, both ends of said receptacle being folded to form sectors of more or less incidental irregularity which overlap substantially from the sides of said receptacle to the center thereof, thereby imposing a plurality of thicknesses of paper between the bottom and top of said container and the contents of said receptacle.

In testimony' whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES V. DUNBAR. 

